By guest author, Mr. Wino – If you are headed to the islands of the south pacific there’s a good chance you love warm tropical waters, palm trees, endless beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle. After all, who doesn’t love all of this, right? The ocean, sun and beaches are why we constantly return to a tropical environment for much of our travels. So naturally when we came across information and photos of the Cook Islands, and specifically Rarotonga, we were intrigued.
Rarotonga is part of the Cook Islands and is known for its beautiful lagoon.
In planning our several-month, “epic” South Pacific adventure, we started looking over our options for travel. We didn’t know where we were going, but we did know a couple of things about the way we would travel: we wouldn’t be in resorts and we’d largely self-cater. As a result, our list of wants and needs went beyond finding amazing beaches and beautiful water. We needed logistics that would make it all work, such as easy access to grocery stores and transportation. Here is the list of things we considered when deciding which islands to visit in the South Pacific and how Rarotonga measured up:
Cost
As true winos we always look for reasonable costs because we don’t want to constantly worry about our pocket book while traveling (and we need to save some money for our wine 😉!)
Feel and Atmosphere
Just like when we go wine tasting, we look for a good “feel of the place” when traveling. We like a festive and light atmosphere, but not too crazy. We like quiet, but not too sleepy. So we’re always on the hunt for that sweet spot in between.
Logistics
Traveling in a non-resort way can get tiring, so we look for logistics that take some of the work out of the experience such as being close to a descent grocery store, water that you can drink, and access to somewhat reliable transportation. Having a bar and restaurant close by never hurts either!
Beach, Water, Snorkeling, Diving
Pretty much this is the reason we go, so it has to be on our list of priorities!
Our Visit to Rarotonga
We found lodging costs to be reasonable using Airbnb. We got this view for $80 per night!
In researching the islands, Rarotonga checked all of our boxes. It is an English speaking county, which we thought would help us a lot when navigating around the island. It would also be a good way to start off our multi-island trip not having to speak another language. Rarotonga also has a good infrastructure and it is tied closely to New Zealand. This meant we wouldn’t be “roughing it” too much. It also has a public transportation system with an around-the-island bus, which meant we could get places easily. And last but not least, we saw photos and read descriptions that told us the island had beautiful aqua lagoons and plenty of snorkeling and water activities. We were sold!
As part of our epic South Pacific trip, we spent 16 nights total in Raro (as it is called by frequent visitors and some of the locals we heard). We stayed in two different AirBnbs in our time there and both were right on the water! We paid about $80 per night for one and $100 per night for the other!!
Rarotonga, Cook Islands, offers towering peaks to climb, with several hiking trails to the top.
Staying in different locations (Titikaveka in the South and Arorangi in the West) gave us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in a few different sections of the island. We traveled almost exclusively by bus and self-catered about 75% of our meals. We snorkeled seven times during our stay and kayaked once in the lagoon, but chose to wait on diving for our French Polynesia portion of the trip. We also did a cross-island hike and walked a bunch to get around, but didn’t do any additional hiking or 4×4 trips that were offered on the island. Additionally, we went to the Saturday market in the main town of Avarua three different times.
How did Rarotonga Measure Up?
Cost: B-
Mr. Wino waits for the bus outside our favorite beach bar/restaurant in Rarotonga, Charlie’s.
With the Caribbean and Mexico as our primary barometer, Rarotonga was a bit on the high side for groceries and drinks, but not too bad. It was comparable to Caribbean prices, but higher than Mexico. We were able to find restaurants with reasonable prices and great food. The bus was also very affordable. If you buy a 10-pass ticket (which you can split amongst multiple people) it only costs $3 NZ for a one-way trip all the way across the island. We found some excellent “happy hours” and wine was priced from $12 to $18 NZ per bottle. A bonus was that it was very drinkable! After the exchange rate – about $8 to $13 US, it was not too far from what we pay at home. All in all, I give Rarotonga a “B minus” on cost because you can find reasonable prices, but you have to look a little to find them.
Feel and Atmosphere: B-
One of the few party places in Rarotonga is the Hula Bar, where locals and tourists enjoy nightlife and this fantastic sunset view.
Rarotonga is not Cancun or even Cozumel for nightlife and energy. It’s definitely more laid back than these tropical party areas. It does have a number of proper bars and does cater to a crowd that wants to have some fun during the day or night. Just do not expect someone pouring shots into someone’s belly button. As we have traveled pretty extensively to the Caribbean and Mexico, we found Raro to be more quiet and sleepy than most places in those areas (with the exception of a “Raro Party Bus” paid excursion). While I came to the South Pacific seeking peace and tranquility, it turns out I crave a bit more of a festive and touristy atmosphere than I thought. Raro was a bit too sleepy for me for 16 nights but would be perfect for the average one week getaway. I stay with a “B minus” on this, but keep in mind…I tend towards a bit more higher energy places.
Logistics: B
This is probably only important for the budget traveler or long-term traveler, as cost, convenience and having a bit of a feel of home is what we seek, while trying not to get exhausted. Raro was really pretty good on all fronts. There are several good grocery stores and other smaller ones located throughout the island. The bus is easy and most of the local people and many tourists get around on scooter. However, be wary of rainy season unless you want to drive your scooter with a mask and snorkel on (we actually saw a guy doing this during our stay in April 2018, which had 5 very rainy days!) The plane in and out of Raro was great and the locals speak English and are amazingly helpful.
We were surrounded by gorgeous lagoon water in Rarotonga, but we had to buy drinking water nearly every day.
There are two significant problems for Raro that we found during our stay. The first is the water. We were warned on our arrival that tap water is not suitable to drink. Then we heard that the filtered filling stations were also not acceptable due to excessive rain. This left us with bottled water (at $4NZ per 3-liter bottle!) and our Steripen/boiling routine. It’s not a huge deal, but something to be noted. We recommend taking something to sterilize water (such as a Steripen), especially if traveling long term. The second problem we encountered was the internet. Oh the internet – how we have become dependent. Even though we pride ourselves on not being stuck on devices during our travels, it is essential for our communications with Airbnb hosts, airlines, and most importantly family. Suffice it to say, there are challenges with the Internet in Raro as it is expensive, confusing, and downright a waste of money if you choose the hotspot option. I’ll have some advice in my next blog to help navigate these issues. But for now, due to the water and internet, Raro drops to a “B”. Otherwise it would have been an A minus.
Beach, Water, Snorkeling, Diving: B-
Muri Beach is one of the few beaches in Rarotonga and offers SUP, kayaking, swimming and access to lagoon islands (motu).
First, the bad news. There really aren’t many true beaches in Raro. There’s a really nice one in Muri and two other pretty good ones down in the south of the island, Aroa beach and Tikioki beach (near where we stayed). Otherwise, the beaches are just not up to Caribbean and Mexico standards. Now for the good news! The snorkeling, on the other hand, was really quite good. While the lagoon is very shallow and you have to be aware of the tides, the fish life was excellent. There are some areas to avoid when it is rainy because the runoff from the island filters to the lagoon. The water clarity was great when the rain stopped for a few days and was “on par” with most tropical waters we’ve seen in Mexico and the Caribbean. We didn’t dive so we cannot speak to that part. Overall, unless beaches are essential, Raro gets a “B minus”. I mark it down a bit as the lagoon can be so shallow at times that it can become unusable in many areas. Also, when it rains, the water near shore can become quite murky with a funky smell. But keep in mind if you are visiting during the non-rainy season (May to October), this should be less of an issue.
Rarotonga has some of the friendliest people we’ve ever met…including Bruce from Pa’s Cross Island Trek.
Overall, we enjoyed our trip to Rarotonga. As it was our first South Pacific Island, we were lucky to be welcomed to the area by the amazing people of the Cook Islands. Above and beyond this was our favorite part of our stay. The people of Raro are extremely friendly and helpful and if you are looking for an island experience where you feel like family, then Raro definitely meets the mark.
